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ART tm, Inverness Sutherland Hussey Architects |
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Point Hotel, Edinburgh Andrew Doolan Architects |
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Brunswick Hotel, Glasgow Elder and Cannon Architects |
The purpose of this document has been to assert the Government's belief in the importance of architecture and in the value and benefits of good building design. Buildings, and the built environments they shape, touch almost every aspect of our lives and, as a consequence, have a profound effect on human beings, on place, on human consciousness and on the world. Buildings are instrumental in realising our social objectives for a fair, democratic and inclusive society; they are a tangible manifestation of our culture, they tell the story of our past and carry into the future a message of our present values and aspirations; they have a key role to play in meeting our environmental objectives for a sustainable future; they provide the infra-structure for the nation's economic activities and the skills involved in their design and construction are themselves valuable economic assets. Much of our built environment, of course, already exists. But, as have all previous generations, we will continue to adapt, alter and extend existing buildings and to design and make new architecture. And therein lies our challenge.
In a competitive market economy, it is tempting to regard building as an exclusively economic activity and to prioritise its processes accordingly. But this is to trivialise its purpose. The essential and irreducible purpose of building is to meet human needs; the need for shelter and comfort, for a decent place to live and work, for the opportunity to meet others and share community life. It is the purpose of architecture to meet these needs in ways which celebrate and affirm human values; in ways which safeguard and extend our built heritage; and in ways which have a wholly benign impact on the natural world. At best, architecture possesses real power; power to join people, to invite encounter and create a sense of place and national and local identity. At a time of constitutional change, of shifting social and cultural values, of economic and environmental challenge, Scotland needs the power and imagination of good architecture both to improve our present and to secure our future.
Architecture is, then, too important to be marginalised as a matter for debate and policy. If we are to meet our social, cultural, environmental and economic objectives, if we are to confirm Scotland's status as a decent place to live and work and a worthwhile place to visit, then we need to have greater regard for the quality of our architecture and our built environments. And if we are to achieve this, Scotland needs a policy on architecture. This document is a first step in the development of such a policy. Much needs to be done to develop the detail of policy and to determine a strategy for its implementa-tion. We can, however, set out now the issues which we believe a policy on architecture should address; we can describe a framework for action.
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Fairfield House, Dalkeith
The Michael Laird Partnership |
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Tron Theatre, Glasgow
RMJM |
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Point Hotel, Edinburgh
Andrew Doolan Architects |
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Ardgour School, Lochaber
The Highland Council |
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University Innovation Park, Stirling
Oberlanders Architects |
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